Feeling grateful for these great choices.
Watch
Agatha All Along (Disney+)
Who knew that the most layered, and accurate depiction of lesbians on television right now would be from Marvel/Disney? Not me. This show is so thoughtfully made; from the costuming, set design, and of course the writing. I’m obsessed. (Ash)
Check out our Disney+ Roku to watch.
Black Widows (Hoopla)
This Finnish crime series features three women in abusive marriages whose husbands are killed in a “mysterious” boat explosion in the first episode. It’s full of surprises and it’s also so much fun to watch a show starring women with the male characters playing mostly secondary roles. (Janet)
I’m Alan Partridge
Steve Coogan is the King of Cringe. I’m on a personal Partrimilgrimage to enjoy every bit of the Alan Partridge content that is out there. I’m Alan Partridge is some of the best works of this character. Alan’s Wikipedia page summarizes himself best, “A parody of British television personalities, Partridge is a tactless and inept broadcaster with an inflated sense of celebrity.” A winning series, and character, for anyone who relishes the feeling of fremdschämen. (Lauren)
Laura
A classic noir from the 40s with a twist. I didn’t love it, but it was really well done and the cinematography is stellar. The film brings up interesting questions about para social relationships that are surprisingly relevant today. (Christie)
The Penguin (Max)
This series is a continuation of Colin Farrell’s character in The Batman. It’s dark (literally and metaphorically) and incredibly well acted: Colin Farrell deserves all the awards. (Amber)
Check out our Max Roku to watch.
Read
Cranberry Cove by Hailey Piper
This atmospheric horror novella combines an abandoned hotel, a crime syndicate and magic rituals gone awry. A great read for a tiny dose of terror. (Liz)
Death At Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Our main character is given a summer job as a tour guide at an old house on a private island. But it has a haunted past, and people start dying. Who is the killer and what really happened all those years ago? This was an excellent, fast paced, sapphic mystery. (Ash)
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Perfect for this time of year. The grown up, NYC -based youngest daughter of a dysfunctional family joins her siblings and spouses, parents, and nieces at a villa in Italy for vacation. It’s a horror story, but the main horror is the way the family interacts. It was honestly hard to read, but that means it did its job well. Short and fun, and also a nice escape to Italy! (Christie)
Hope It All Works Out by Reza Farazmand
This graphic novel collects the comics from “Poorly Drawn Lines,” a popular webcomic following Mouse, Snail, Turtle and Bird, among others. Their misguided optimism, sarcasm and tiny animal lives are very relatable. (Liz)
Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller
This is the story of Chanel Miller, a woman who was sexually assaulted while unconscious by a man known as “The Stanford Swimmer.” It’s a heavy topic, for sure, but such a worthwhile read. The author faced endless indignities in the months leading up to and including the trial against her attacker. That Chanel Miller persisted in her quest for justice makes her a hero in my mind. The author narrates the audiobook, which provides added depth to the experience, but be warned that listening to her read her own Victim Impact Statement is especially heartbreaking. (Janet)
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
I’d read good reviews of this book and was curious to read about homesteading in Montana in 1915- a topic I’d never learned about. The story went in a direction I was not expecting and I didn’t love the fantastical elements. However, the history was fascinating, especially learning about the titular lone women, including Black women, who journeyed to Montana to tame the land. (Dana)
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
This Young Adult book is about a girl who works in her parents’ laundromat. She leads a fairly humdrum existence until a new friend moves into the neighborhood. Together they explore New York City in an attempt to match lost laundry items with their owners. Such a great premise! While not quite a graphic novel, this book is chock-full of charming and often humorous illustrations. (Janet)
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
One of the most prolific writers of our time, Ta-Nehisi Coates delivers profound and insightful observations and reflections in his newest book. This is a must-read for all, especially the youth, who are the most powerful and influential changemakers of our time. (Molly)
Solitaire by Alice Oseman
After watching Heartstopper, it was time for a Alice Oseman re-reading session. This one is all about Tori and friendship and family and mysteries! It’s a dark story, but it has some fun light parts as well. Tori is my favorite Osemanverse character! (Hazel)
Somewhere Beyond The Sea by TJ Klune
AN EXCELLENT sequel to the House in the Cerulean Sea – I honestly liked it better than the first book. Laughs, empathy, and love in spades. (Renee)
Snotgirl Volume 1: Green Hair Don’t Care by Bryan Lee O’Malley
From the creator of Scott Pilgrim comes a surreal, colorful, wild story about Lottie Person, a fashion blogger with secret allergies. Just bonkers. (Renee)
There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Warning: this is an extreme teen slasher! Gorey, gross, surprising, and yes — there’s romance, too! Fast-paced and enjoyable if you like YA fiction in the horror genre. I especially appreciate it touching on themes of otherness and hazing. Good, not great, but worth it if you’re in the mood. (Lauren)
Listen
The Big Dig (podcast)
Pun intended, this podcast covers the long, meandering road of Boston’s Big Dig. It thoroughly discusses the politics, logistics, mishaps, and city planning vision-origins of this massive project that transformed the landscape of our capital city. As a child of the 80s and 90s, I have vivid memories of the Museum of Science’s Big Dig exhibit, and of the drippy, dark underpass that lead you to the North End neighborhood. As an adult, I love sitting on the The Rose Kennedy Greenway with a book and a sfogliatelle (Modern, not Mike’s). I enjoyed learning more from those that contributed to the project and getting a better understanding of how it came to be. A simple, straightforward listen about the complex, convoluted Big Dig. (Lauren)
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, narrated by Katie Schorr
This story of a 19 year-old coal-miner’s daughter who rides for the Pack Horse Librarians in 1930’s Kentucky was enlightening and infuriating. It induced happy tears and sad tears. It rang true of all the kind-hearted and hard-working Librarians I know, and that’s a bunch! (Deb)
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao, narrated Ann Zhao, Natalie Naudus, Rebecca Wang, Elaine Wang, Daisy Guevara, Tara Sands, Mx. Nicky Endres, Angel Pean
Take a historically women’s college and add two competing love advice Instagram accounts (both of whom happen to be aro ace) and all the complications that come with college, and it’s a really fun story that incorporates multiple perspectives! (Hazel)
Hopes and Fears by Keane
I kind of hate that the music that reminds me of my college years is turning 20 all of a sudden! I absolutely do not hate the music though, and Keane’s debut album has been in high rotation on my nostalgia playlist. It’s a classic. (Dana)
The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver, narrated by Kaleo Griffith
I’ve been watching Tracker on TV (So this is a Watch as well as a Listen!) and often like to see how the book compares to the screen. I think overall it was well-done and I appreciate the different choices that the screen folks made from the book. I like Colter. I think readers of the Reacher books by Lee Child would appreciate Colter. I was a little disappointed that of all the theories that may have been the ending, the one that actually was the ending is icky and a little too close to current real-life politics. But that’s just personal preference. (Deb)
Ologies (podcast)
This podcast series has something for everyone. Creator Alie Ward interviews expert-ologists in a wide, wide range of fields. Just a sampling, but I’ve listened to: Coffeeology, Tardigradology, Suicidology, Curiology (Emojis), Misophonology, Neuroendocrinology, Ambystomology (Axolotls!), Psychedeliology, Etymology, Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology, and Disgustology! She covers an insane range of topics, and always sits down with experts in the field. She even has Smologies — family-friendly, shorter episodes! Highly recommend to anyone who is curious about EVERYTHING! (Lauren)
The Only One Left by Riley Sager, narrated by Dawn Harvey and Christine Lakin
Gothic mystery/thriller/ghost story – suitable for late fall – about a young caregiver assigned to care for the town’s notorious, untried, presumed-murderer in a creepy, coastal Maine, cliff house. I Iiked it. I thought of a few twists that didn’t turn out to be the actual twist. But in the end, some of the twists were almost so twisty I no longer believed anyone’s version of events. (Deb)
Who Could That Be at This Hour? by Lemony Snicket, narrated by Liam Aiken
Did you know there were prequels to A Series of Unfortunate Events? I didn’t! This first book follows Lemony Snicket (the character!) during his childhood as he becomes entangled in a small town’s many mysteries. I love a good prequel, and I’m having tons of fun picking up on all the references to the original series. And of course Snicket’s unique brand of dry humor is always a treat. (Rachel)